It’s Never Too Early to Start Traveling
Planning a family vacation can be difficult, especially when the kids are small. It’s not always easy to find somewhere that will please both the adults and the little one in the party, but those places do exist!
Here are some of the best family vacations with toddlers.
Walt Disney World, FL
This is an obvious one, and probably the first place that springs to mind when thinking of toddler-friendly vacation destinations. With four theme parks, two water parks, over 20 resorts, and a huge shopping and dining district, Walt Disney World is over 40 square miles of pure toddler delight!
There are countless rides, shows and attractions to keep little ones busy, and parents are sure to get caught up in the fun. Really, what adult isn’t just a big Disney kid at heart?!
Magic Kingdom should be your first stop, where the whole family can soar with Dumbo, eat dinner in Cinderella’s Castle, and of course, meet Mickey and Minnie! If your little one can keep up, don’t forget to stay for the Happily Ever After fireworks nighttime show — the ultimate way to cap off a day at the most magical place on earth!
New York City, NY
New York City isn’t somewhere you might typically think to take a toddler, but we’ve taken both of our boys at an early age, and they’ve absolutely loved it! The noise, sights and smells of the city are enough to keep a toddler occupied and interested as it is, but the city is just bursting with things for little ones to do.
On the Upper West Side, you’ll find The Children’s Museum of Manhattan: five floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits including an outdoor water play area. In the West Village, take your little one to the Children’s Museum of Art, where they can color, paint, play with play-dough and bounce around in an enormous ball pit!
If the weather is fine, Central Park is a haven for toddlers, with numerous playgrounds, a sailing pond, a zoo and even a carousel! Be sure to save time for an authentic New York City bagel at Ess-a-bagel, and a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery!
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San Diego, CA
We took our eldest son to San Diego when he was 18 months old, and we found it to be the most wonderful place to take a vacation with a toddler! There is so much to do in the city, and we found it to be a very family-friendly place to visit.
Begin your trip with a visit to the world-famous San Diego Zoo to see their adorable pandas and koala bears, before heading over to the neighboring Balboa Park to explore their many gardens and museums. Take a trip to Mission Beach so your little one can put their toes in the Pacific Ocean, and be sure to find time to visit the USS Midway, where the whole family can spend hours exploring the huge aircraft carrier.
If you have a rental car, drive out to La Jolla to visit the Birch Aquarium where your toddler can (gently!) touch a starfish, and don’t forget to drive along the coast to see those sea lions! San Diego is a place that really does have something to offer the whole family.
Oahu, Hawaii
If you’re willing to brave a long flight with a toddler, then a Hawaii family vacation is well worth the trip. With near-perfect weather all year round, endless sandy beaches, and the most friendly and welcoming folks, there’s a good reason people refer to it as paradise!
The island of Oahu is home to the vibrant Waikiki Beach, with miles of powder-soft sand, and plenty of family-friendly restaurants where you can try some authentic Hawaiian cuisine. A little further along the coast you’ll find Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, nestled in the sleepy town of Ko’Olina. This is about as family-friendly as a trip to Hawaii gets!
We braved a trip to Aulani with a 3-year-old and a 12-week-old baby, and had a truly incredible time. There are numerous pools for kids of all ages, including a huge toddler-friendly water play structure, as well as a quiet beach where the waters are calm enough for a toddler to splash around safely.
If your little one is potty-trained, there is a fantastic kids club they can visit, so parents can sneak away for a romantic meal on the water, or a trip to the spa!
Vail, CO
Putting a toddler on skis and sending them down a mountain may sound a little crazy, but actually a ski vacation is a wonderful trip to take with a toddler. Toddler ski school starts at most resorts between 2 and 3 years old. You’ll find those little ones pick things up very quickly — probably much quicker than the adults!
While parents hit the slopes, the kids will be well taken care of by incredibly patient and encouraging instructors who will have your little one heading down after you in no time!
For family time spent together, Vail has a number of family-friendly restaurants, such as the very reasonably priced Blue Moose Pizza, where you can get a pie for the whole family to eat in or take back to your hotel room.
You can also visit Adventure Ridge to go tubing, something my toddler just couldn’t get enough of, and an adventurous family can find plenty of places for hiking, zip-lining and even whitewater rafting!
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Siesta Key, FL
Voted the best beach in the United States, Siesta Key is the perfect place for your toddler’s first beach trip. With miles of soft, white sand on the warm, calm waters of the gulf, Siesta Key is a beach-goer’s dream.
The newly opened Siesta Key Beach Pavilion provides bathrooms and places to grab a bite to eat, both things absolutely necessary for any trip with a toddler. Plus there are a number of family-friendly hotels right on the beach.
Aside from building sandcastles and playing in the waves, families will find a number of water sports, including boat trips, parasailing and some fantastic fishing. Just be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen!
Outer Banks, NC
The Outer Banks in North Carolina provide a family-friendly beach destination that is perfect for families with toddlers. While there are plenty of hotels to choose from, there are also a great number of vacation villas.
Renting a house with a toddler is the perfect way to vacation. You can cook your own food, they have more space to play and run around, and, best of all, once they’re asleep, you don’t have to creep around a hotel room — you’ll have a whole house to yourself!
A large number of properties have private pools, and many are right on the beach. Spending a few lazy hours on the beach before coming back to a house to clean up and cook a meal is a wonderful way to vacation, and takes a lot of the stress out of vacationing with a toddler.
Aside from beach activities, the Outer Banks have a number of piers and hiking trails that make it a particular great autumn beach destination. Of course, you should also find time to see the wild horses that the area is so famous for!
For more great advice on traveling with kids, visit the blog Have Diapers, Will Travel.